He owns a 1958 Massey Ferguson tractor, loves Motown, enjoys watching Downton Abbey with a glass of red wine and is a qualified chiropodist (an in-growing toenail specialist). Now, for the fifth time, one of the game’s most loved – and loathed – pantomime villains is back on the big stage. An old-school manager, Neil Warnock is determined to ruffle a few feathers on his return to the Premier League with Cardiff City.

If he could keep them afloat in the top flight, Warnock has said that then might be a good time to get off the giddying juggernaut and, at last, on to his beloved tractor, that goes by the name of Gladys, stationed at the family home in Cornwall, between the towns of Launceston and Callington. It will be a big ask – they are odds-on favourites for relegation – not that he cares. “We were 33‑1 this year to get in the play-offs, let alone win promotion,” he said. “So we’re going to enjoy it. We know we’re up against it.”

Whatever happens, it certainly will not be dull.

Verdict: 20th

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Neil Warnock won't dress this up as some opportunity to create a great side. He's made them £100m but he won't be going in and asking for big money because he isn't used to working with those sort of players. It won't be pretty but he's made a side who are hard to beat and will be competitive.

Alan Smith, Sky Sports pundit

Neil Warnock will try and create a siege mentality at Cardiff, but in terms of quality they are just going to be a little bit short.

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Sean Dyche has provided the blueprint for Cardiff. The Burnley boss first took the Clarets to the Premier League four years ago.

And though they were instantly relegated, Dyche built sensibly on his success, signed the best Championship players and won promotion straight away. Cardiff may well have to follow the same path.

Bluebirds boss Neil Warnock is confident his side can stay up but were the worst to happen, the quality in the squad means they would be primed to bounce back.

All of Warnock's signings so far come from the second tier, players hungry to show they can do it in the big league. They may not have rival fans in the Prem quaking in their boots - but they are all reliable performers with potential.

Many of the heroes of last season - and remember no one gave Cardiff a hope of getting promoted last summer - have been rewarded with new contracts. Warnock's troops may well end up losing the battle for Premier League survival, but win the war of long-term progress, just as Dyche's man did.

Verdict: Neil Warnock described winning promotion with his unlikely Cardiff lads as his greatest managerial achievement. Survival would top it, given what the Bluebirds are up against.

Oh how Neil Warnock will love the Bluebirds being written off before the season even starts. This is a vastly experienced manager who, no matter what any of his many detractors might say, did the sort of job that would have been hailed as a work of genius by other managers to get Cardiff promoted last season.

They will be backed by fanatical support at home but Warnock has found the transition from Championship to Premier League a difficult one before and might have wanted to do more in the markets this summer.

Have Cardiff City got enough to stay up? I have my doubts but would be happy to be wrong and no doubt those of us who predict their demise will hear about if we are - and rightly so.

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Cardiff could just sneak out of it, but they’ll need to bin Neil Warnock as soon as possible.

Verdict: Relegated

Stoke City striker and Daily Mail columnist Peter Crouch

The one thing I will say with certainty where Cardiff are concerned is that every team who visits their stadium will be in for a horrible time. Neil Warnock isn’t going to try to win a prize for artistry. He is going to try to keep them in the division any way he can.

It was a tactic that Stoke employed to great effect in the early years. We knew that certain teams hated coming to play us and were easily unsettled when the crowd got behind us and the game turned into a battle. It’s going to be interesting to see how the big teams cope in South Wales.

If you had been given 10 goes to pick which team would come out of the Championship as runners-up, I don’t believe anyone would have picked Cardiff. They deserve huge credit for claiming back their place in the Premier League after a four-year break.

Warnock’s teams are all about hard work, camaraderie and never giving up. They do have some quality in attack but let’s be realistic, if they finish one place above the relegation zone - whether it is by one point or one goal - they will have had an amazing season.

Verdict: They are favourites to go down for a reason so 17th would be incredible.

Former Wales international Robbie Savage

I hope they stay up, but fear the worst. To be honest, Neil Warnock performed a miracle last season to win promotion ahead of some big spenders in the Championship. They may be lacking quality at both ends of the pitch, but Warnock will have them fired-up and motivated. Going down then — but not without a fight.